Shock-absorbing mechanism



Dec. Z7, 1927. 1,653,988

w. BLACKMORE .SHOCK ABSORBING MECHANISM Filed Deo. 2 2., 1926 l1/wantenlli Patented Dee. 27, 1927.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM BLAGKMORE, OF SHARON, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0Milla,

MALLEABLE ND STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, (JI-IIE), A llllilllTIN DIE' HIO.

SHOCKABSORBING MECHANISM.

Application led December 22, 1926. Serial No 156,315.

Fig. l is a horizontal section et a shook absorbing mechanism embodyingmy inven tion; Fig. 2 is an end olf elevation thereot With `the Wedgefollower removed; Fie. 3 is an elevation oit' the inner lace ol theWedge tollovver; llig. t is a side elevation, partly in section, of theWedge follower; llig. 5 is side elevation et one or the shoes; Fig. tlis a rear elevation thereot; Fig 7 is a trent elevation ot the other olfthe shoes; and Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereot.

My invention relates to shoelr absorbing mechanism, and particularly tofriction dirait gears tor railway vehicles et the type described in myfio-pending application llhlO/, tiled January t3, lli/ly inventioncomprises a novel and e'llective means tor releasingthe parts ail'tercompression and various 'lieatur which l shall hereinalter describe andclaim. y

Referring to the drawings, the central friction member 2 haslongitudinally-ez:- tending, outwardly radiating arms 3 having divergingfriction laces and terminates at its rear end in an enlarged base l.Friction slices 5 and o sea-t 'open the 'lriction 'faces oiE theoutwardly radiating arms 3. The itriction shoe 5 has r Wedging surfaceengaged by a ivedging siirlace l? on the Wedge :tollower 8. A rearwardlyextending doWel il torms a spring seating surface, preferably engaged bythe inner coil l0 of a spring element which at its rear end hearsagainst the base 1l. The outer ooil lll. o the spring `element likewisebears at its rear end upon the base Il, hot at its :l'iorward endengages a surface lf2; on the Wedge ilollorver 8. The rear face ot theshoe 5 `from 'which the dotvel Sl projects may be offset snlliciently tokeep the enter spring coil ll normally out ot' engagement with the shoe.lt will be seen that the snr-tace l2 against 'which the outer springcoil ll hears entends somewhat over halt the circumference oil the endol the spring. Arlso7 if desired, the shoe o need not be otlset to theextent shown., but may allord a hearing tor the outer coil spring ll, inwhich event the spring pressure will be divided between the shoe 5 andthe wedge follower 8.

The shoe 5fL on its outer snrlace has a hallshaped projection 13 whichengages a correspondingly shaped socket lll in the wedge, thus forming a4ball and socket engagement with the shoe. Against the rear shoe l bearboth the initier and the outer spring coil spring coil lla preferablyloer` the shoe 5 and the snrlace 'l/ll lower Wedge, While the inner collentirely against the rear eiiilaeo el? shoe f.

As the gea-r is compressed and lilo l lower 8 moves inwardly, anr'erlp'ii is set up between the follower 5, forcing the shoe againstthe ai le the central friction member Q.. lower 8 is tree to move later,i caused to so move by reason o ment with the inclined roo r l?lfrietion shoe, will trai Aii waused by its Wedging engag i llo-.l shoe5 to the shoe 5 throiigli the ball. :i rl soolrlet engagement, so thatthe shoe wil l be torced against the central memlnir willi a torce equalto that on the shoe li.

As the pressure abates, `the tollen-or 'ir S 1will be forced oli oLl theelmo direct pressure ot the outer of looseningr the Wedging grip oil 5upon the shoe 5,-and alter tl le fi p h broken, the coils 10 and ll. iopposite sides of the :follower7 and iv? the shoe 5, back to normalposition.

l. have found that sticking is apt to encor when the releasing meansisiappliod dir f and uniformly to the follower or shoe. lll/ith myimproved mechanisnii. lfloiveroi lie force ot the spring 1l. exerted onlhs face 1Q ol the :lolloiver aeliially loiver andthis breaks the odinshoes 5 and 5 and the ilolloomM quently leaves them and bolli followerto be pushed entirel- 3, llo

"lll

- lllll springs 10, 10a, l1 and llt. t 'wi seen that there is a relativeslidii fr; inottment in release betvl'een the one sido ol, tlie follower8 and the shoe 5, and t. this gives a` rotative movement olE the oirorabout the ball and socket joint in tlv side oll the device, which l"lirlllll' through an extended lever by the spring ll against the y. 11.lie

Wedge.

Anoth er advantage olf my iinyjirov'ed d gear is that it may he appliedto ci i ployingl the U. S. R. A. type olf which, as is shown in Fig. l,the

and 5 will be in the same horizontal plane.v Normally, when so appliedits weight causes the free end of the central member to work graduallydown until it is in contact with the lower face 15 of the followerwedge, with the result that the wedge pads 7 will then seat a littleofl'eenter on the shoes. With my improvement, however, the shoe a canhave no movement relative to the follower other than a rotary one byreason of its ball and socket joint. Hence, its only movement relativeto the cent-ral member is a movement longitudinally of such member. Itwill therefore appear that the follower wedge can not shift bodilylaterally relative to its bearing on the arms of the central member andcan therefore not get out of line.

The termsand expressions which I have vemployed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and I have no intention, in the useof such terms and expressions, of excluding any mechanical equivalentsof the 'features shown and described, or portions thereof, but recognizethat various structural modifications are possible within the scope ofthe invention claimed.

What I claim is: Y

1. In a frictional shock absorbing mechanism, a longitudinally-extendinglincluded friction member having arms with longitu- (finally-extendingfriction faces; friction Vshoes seating on said faces; a follower havinga wedging 'engagementwith one of said shoes and a rotative engagementwith the other, and a plurality of springs operative in compression landrelease. I I

2. In a frictional shock absorbing mechanism, a longitudinally-extendingincluded friction-mem er having arms with longitudinally-extendingfriction faces; friction shoes seating on said faces; a follower havinga variable engagement with each of said shoes but a wedging engagementvwith only one; and a plurality of springs operative in compression andrelease.

3. In a frictional shock absorbing mechanism, a longitudinally-extendingincluded friction member havingarms with longitudinal'ly-extendingfriction faces; friction shoes seating on said faces; a follower hav-4ing a ball andsocket engagement with one of said shoes and adapted toexert wedging pressures on each ofl the said shoes, and a plurality ofsprings operative in compression and release.

4. In a, frictional shock absorbing mechanism, alongitudinally-extending included friction member having arms withlongitudinally-extending friction faces; friction shoes seating on saidfaces; a follower having a wedging engagement with one of said shoes anda rotative engagement with the other, and a plurality of s )ringelements one of which acts to tilt the follower and therebyv break theadhesion between wedge and shoe by an oiilcentered application of force.

5. In a frictional shock absorbing mechaanism, alongitudinally-extending included friction member having arms withlongitudinally-extending friction faces; friction shoes seating on saidfaces; a follower having a wedging engagement with one of said shoes anda rotative engagement with the other, and a plurality of spring elementsarranged symmetrically on either side of said member, one of which has abearing upon the follower at the side opposite the said rotative bearingand in release causes it to rotate about the said bearing.

(i. In frictional shock absorbing mechanism, a longitudinally-extendingincluded friction member having longitudinali -extending friction faces;friction shoes earing on such faces; a follower engaging said shoesadapted to wedge them against said faces; and a plurality of springelements, one of which bears against a shoe and the follower, andanother against follower alone, whereby a tilting pressure is exertedagainst one side of the follower in release.

7. In frictional shock absorbing-mechanism, a longitudinally-extendingincluded friction member having a plurality of longitudinally-extendingfriction faces; a friction shoe engaging each of such faces, one of saidshoes having an inclined wcdging face; a follower engaging the wedgingface of the said shoe; a compression spring element arranged to resistthe inwardv movement of a shoe and follower relative to the centralfriction member; another shoe having a rotative engagement with saidfollower; and a Vsecond com ression spring element, the lirst mentioned)spring element in release being effective to cause rotation of thefollower to release it from its wedgin engagement with the shoe firstmentioned and break the adhesion of the said wedge and shoes.

8. In frictional shock absorbing mechanism, a longitudinally-extendingfriction member, friction shoes in frictional contact with saidvfriction member, a wedge member engaging said shoes and adapted to movethem longitudinally of said friction member, said wedge having a wedgingengagement with one of said shoes and a rotative enga ment with anotherof said shoes whereby t e wedge is substantially incapable of loitudinal movement relative to one of said es, and a plurality of springsoperative in compression and release.

WILLIAM BLACKMORE.

